Edgar "Egai" Talusan Fernandez (January 20, 1955 – February 27, 2024) was a Filipino socialist-realist painter.[1][2][3] His art style was noted for portraying the Philippines as "a multi-ethnic country that is still embroiled in social issues such as civil conflicts."[4][5][6][7][excessive citations] Active in the Philippine art scene from the 1970s onwards,[8] he was particularly known for his activist art which criticized the dictatorship of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.[1][9][10][11][12][excessive citations]
Fernandez studied advertising at the Philippine Women's University under the mentorship of renowned Philippine abstractionists Lee Aguinaldo and Justin Nuyda, who helped influence his early style. His developing affiliation with activist groups eventually led to him becoming one of the founders of the Kaisahan group, which would become one of the bastions for Social Realism in the country.[citation needed]
Fernandez's style as a social realist painter was largely defined by his iconography depicting the many trials plaguing Philippine society.[citation needed]
Fernandez died on February 27, 2024, at the age of 68.[13][14]
